Stress among
child care providers is an important problem because it not only affects
the provider's health, but also the quality of care that the provider
is able to give. A provider who is under too much stress will not be able
to offer the praise, nurturing, and direction that children need for good
development.

Sources of
occupational stress for providers may include:

Tension
between parents and care givers.

Too much
work to do in too little time.

Feeling
unable to make full use of their skills and abilities.

Too many
children per provider to allow the provider to sufficiently tend to
the childrens individual needs.

Noise.

Immediacy
of the needs of the children.

For those
providers who work in child care centers, stress may also be a result
of:

Not fully
understanding what is expected on the job or how to perform it.

Poor relationships
with coworkers.

Having
little control over how their jobs are performed.

Having
few or no opportunities for career advancement.

Lack of
clear communication with supervisors.

If you work
in your own family child care home, you can reduce stress by making and
following clear work policies and procedures, and by getting training
in those areas of your work that you are not comfortable in performing.
If you are responsible for managing other providers:

Explain
your center's work procedures to the staff, giving them an opportunity
to ask questions and have them answered. Make sure they clearly understand
your policies regarding guidance and discipline of children or managing
childrens behavior.

Include
in your policies and procedures clear direction on how to deal with
conflicts with parents regarding child care.

Be available
to help providers when they need you and give them the resources they
need to do their work well.

Give providers
"ownership" in their work by making it clear that you want
to know what they feel would help them do their jobs better.

Review
the amount and type of work each provider is expected to do and make
sure both are reasonable.

Watch
providers performing their jobs. Let them know what they are doing well
and what needs to be improved. Offer advice on how to improve.

Provide
training to enhance providers knowledge and skills.

Develop
a career ladder (e.g., based on training and work responsibilities),
when possible, through which providers can advance within your facility.

Encourage
providers to suggest solutions to problems and implement them.

Encourage
good working relationships among all providers. Immediately investigate
disagreements to determine the source and find solutions. A solution
may be as simple as explaining a procedure.

Advocate
for fair provider salaries.

Note:
This
information is not intended to take the place of your state's or locality's
child care regulations and laws. In every case, the laws and regulations
of the city, county, and state in which the child care facility is located
must be carefully followed even if they differ from these recommendations.